Law Enforcement Posse Takes Down Spam King

In the never-ending war against spam, the good guys say they have chalked up one significant win: the arrest of 27-year old Robert Alan Soloway, alleged to be the world's most prolific spammer. Soloway has reportedly been using an army of zombie computers to send out huge volumes of unwanted e-mails. He has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle on 35 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, e-mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

Google Gears Up to Be a Player Offline

Google has created new Web software that runs both online and offline, allowing users to work just about anywhere -- even in places with spotty or no Internet connections. The new open source technology for creating offline Web applications, Google Gears, is a browser plug-in that will let people run Web applications at home or work, or in planes, trains and automobiles. The idea, says Google, is to create a single, standardized way to add offline capabilities to Web applications.

5 Telcos Get a Shot at $20B in Government Contracts

The U.S. General Services Administration has announced the winners of is second largest contract to provide next-generation telecom services to federal agencies: AT&T, Level 3 Communications, Qwest Communications, Sprint Nextel and Verizon. The five companies all have the right to compete for Networx Enterprise contracts from 135 federal agencies looking to update or enhance their telecom-related services with voice, IP, wireless, satellite and IP-centric services. In late March, the GSA awarded a similar though more expansive contract called "Networx Universal."

PC maker Dell to cut 7,000 jobs

At least 7,000 jobs are set to go at computer firm Dell after it said it would cut its global workforce by about 10%.

A Flight Attendant’s Secrets

Beating the lines, navigating security, and making it onboard your flight is half the battle, but with planes likely to be as crowded as ever this summer, there's still plenty of opportunity to get stressed out inside the cabin. U.S. News asked flight attendant JoAnn Kuzma Deveny, author of 99 Ways to Make a Flight Attendant Fly–Off the Handle, to advise travelers how to make a packed flight as pleasant as possible–for yourself, and those around you. Deveny has spent nearly 30 years working for a major airline based in Minnesota that does not officially endorse her advice, and she works on narrow-body jets like the Boeing 757 and the Airbus A320.

If You Must Fly… Here’s How

Last summer was a tough one for air travelers, with widespread delays and crammed planes. And this summer could end up worse: So far in 2007, delays are setting records and planes are nearly as full as ever. That makes it critical to plan smart and react quickly when something goes wrong. U.S. News asked some travel experts how to make flights this summer as pleasant–OK, tolerable–as possible:

New Ways to Beat High Airfares

For the first time since 9/11, many of the big airlines are making money once again. But healthier carriers mean more uncomfortable fliers–and not just because of the pretzel-pinching. Airlines like Delta, United, American, and US Airways have trimmed their fleets and replaced some large aircraft with smaller ones, meaning flights are likely to be more crowded than ever this summer.

Where Airfares Are Rising And Falling

Flights aren't just getting more crowded. They're getting more expensive, too. The average domestic ticket cost $378 in the fourth quarter of 2006, the latest period for which data is available, according to the Department of Transportation. That's the highest fourth-quarter figure since 2000. Fares at the 100 busiest airports ranged from a high of $537 in Anchorage to a low of $234 at Dallas's Love Field–home of Southwest Airlines. Here's how the top 100 airports rank:

Ranking the Largest Airports

If you're flying this summer, bring a long book and a lot of patience. With a record number of passengers forecast to fly on U.S. airlines between June and August–nearly 210 million, according to the Air Transport Association–planes are likely to be more crowded than ever. Delays, which have been increasing across the system, may peak as well, as many airlines struggle to squeeze more customers onto fewer planes.

Ranking the Regional Airports

Small airports have a certain charm, especially when the hassle factor rises. The parking lots are closer to the terminal, lines tend to be shorter, and you can get to your gate without taking a train.
Next Page »